The Perfect Sacrifice 

Greetings to you in the precious name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

Looking back, in the immediate recent past, life has changed so much suddenly due to the pandemic that has struck across nations freezing our lives. It has affected physical movement locally and across nations. It has affected the lives of the young and the old alike, imprisoning them in the virtual worlds of their smartphones. Students are locked down in their homes now for months together. Elders also don’t venture out. For the working class, it is both an emotional and economic struggle to sustain the fragile layers of fabrique of the family and still float above the water and stay alive!

Questions galore… Why this??? Theologians, thinkers, social scientists, medical experts have expressed their views…. For some, it is because sins abound, for some mutation of a smart virus evolving into an unpredictable demon!  For some, it is the natural demographic equilibrium as it has happened many times in the past! There is an old economic theory postulated by Robert Malthus who said whereas food production increases in arithmetic proportion but the human population increases in geometric proportion and when it reaches a stage of Population explosion, the population will be neutralized by wars, earthquakes, floods, diseases, and famines!  Something akin to the food cycle where different forms of life play a definite role, each player in the food chain neutralizes the other (Example: Plants➡Herbivores➡Carnivores➡Sweepers). With so much flood of information in social media, mostly unauthenticated,  many are left more confused as to the Why, What and How of things, finally ending up either resigned to their fate or terrified at the situation. Whatever said, the threat to life, economic recession, and related emotional stress are indisputable facts. With limited options for each player, like the medical fraternity, the State, and the People,  What would you do in such a helpless situation? 

How do people react in helpless situations? In the old testament days, Kings used to fast and pray to God. The idol-worshippers gave sacrifices, sometimes even their own dear children! People also followed their King’s ways. However, there was a person, a great King who acted differently.  What did he do in such a helpless situation? I am referring to King David, who lost everything while in “Ziklag” all their possessions, dwellings, and family who were all carried away by the wily Amalekites. Even David’s own followers turned against him and there was a threat of David getting stoned away by them to death.  1 Samuel 30:6 says, “ But David encouraged himself in the Lord, his God” and David with a small group of men restored everything back is the rest of the story.

What struck me was how David reacted to his situation of inability. He was already on the run from King Saul and was in enemy territory with a group of dedicated bands of warriors. He did not utilize the opportunities to Kill Saul, who relentlessly pursued David and his men for annihilation. Still the band remained faithful to David. But when they lost everything including their wives and children at Ziklag, it was the end. They lost all their strength and patience and hope and were worn out. But David encouraged himself in God. This was a very unique way of surviving in his adversity. He could have done so many things including crying out in a mournful voice to God. But his faith in God was so great that he reassured himself that God can and will do everything! He is the Creator and Controller of life, in any situation and every situation. And God was faithful. 

Let us encourage ourselves in God in these days of uncertainty. Let us teach our children how to be joyful in the presence of the Lord who can make our life beautiful even in a desert, even when we have nothing to look upon, even when our existence is questioned- because He is truthful. He is gracious God, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and relenting from Disaster (Jonah  4:2).  He has bestowed us with His perfect love, God’s love, more than our father and mother. He sacrificed His own Son on the cross for our sins and our redemption. It was an act of perfect, unblemished sacrifice. Because of His perfect love for us.

The Lord says : 

“My grace is sufficient for you; for my strength is made perfect in weakness”  

( II Corinthians 12: 9 ) 

Prayer: 

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank you for your grace on us for carrying us through our adversity. We know that You will protect us, provide us and carry us even through this pandemic because Your name is greater than any name, any king, and any disease.

Amen.